Welcome

Here at Wortley High, we aim to ensure that all pupils develop their individual abilities to the highest level. We want our pupils to:

• Receive a first class education
• Have high expectations, high self-esteem and value themselves and others
• Have every opportunity to develop lively and enquiring minds
• Be flexible and confident so that they continue to be adaptable and ambitious
• Be proud of their, and others achievements, and recognise that education is a lifelong process

Play a full and rewarding role in society, become good citizens and pursue a healthy lifestyle.

Prospectus

Curriculum Information
All pupils at Wortley High School follow a broad, balanced curriculum, which offers equality of access and opportunity. All pupils are encouraged to achieve high standards. Every effort is made to ensure that the curriculum is differentiated to meet the needs of individual pupils.

Pupil Groupings
In Year 7 pupils are placed in mixed ability tutor groups, which take into account advice from the feeder Primary schools, including ability levels and friendship groupings. In some areas of the curriculum pupils are taught in tutor groups. Setting based on ability is introduced in Maths, Humanities and Modern Foreign Languages after an initial period of assessment in Year 7. Pupils are set in Science from Year 8. Pupils who require additional support with basic literacy and numeracy skills may be taught in small withdrawal groups for English and Maths by learning support teachers.

Curriculum Support
Four Transition Assistants working with Year 6 and Year 7 pupils, provide support and continuity, as pupils make the transition into High school from our feeder Primary schools. Two Study Mentors, based full time in school, support pupils with GCSE studies at Key Stage 4. As part of the ‘Excellence in Cities’ programme, Wortley High School has benefited from extra funding for Gifted and Talented pupils. This has enabled us to offer a range of enrichment and extension opportunities to our more able pupils. ‘Excellence in Cities’ funding is enabling us to offer pupils, experiencing difficulties in school, opportunities to develop self-esteem, social skills, positive behaviour, motivation and skills for learning.

Two Learning mentors, working in close partnership with families, are available to support pupils and work with them to overcome any barriers to learning. Wortley High School has a team of experienced Learning Support Assistants working across the curriculum in mainstream classes to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs. A Language Resource facility enables us to provide specialist support, within a mainstream setting, for pupils with complex communication difficulties. The library, maintained by a full time Library Technician, offers a range of high quality resources to support curriculum studies as well as opportunities for reading for pleasure.

Work Related Programmes
Wortley High School continues to develop links with Further Education colleges, local employers and community projects. Key Stage 4 pupils attend off-site courses in Hair and Beauty, Motor Mechanics and Catering. Community projects such as 'Headstart' offer the opportunity for some pupils to experience a range of activities including boxing and ICT.

ASDAN Youth Award Scheme
The Award Scheme is an imaginative way of promoting and recording qualities, abilities and achievements of young people as well as introducing new activities and challenges.
The scheme is intended for all young people between the ages of 14-19 and offers a progressive series of certificates at Bronze, Silver, Gold and Universities Award levels.

The Award Scheme offers its participants a number of considerable advantages. There are many opportunities to get involved in activities that were perhaps never previously available to you. Through participation in new areas of involvement your personal and social confidence will inevitably increase, as will your motivation, achievement and self-esteem.

The Award is highly valued within Further and Higher Education as well as being recognised by a wide range of employers.

The scheme provides students with the chance to display all of their personal qualities, rather than just academic achievements, to a potential employer.

Year 9 Option Choices
In Year 9 pupils and parents are given guidance in making option choices about Key Stage 4 courses. Currently pupils choose 2 options from the following courses: GCSE Art and Design, Business Studies, Drama, Geography, History, Music, PE and the ASDAN Youth Award Scheme which offers a more vocational course. At Key Stage 4 all pupils follow GCSE courses in: English, English Literature, Maths, Science (Dual Award), Technology, Modern Foreign Language and Religious Education and the GNVQ course in Information Technology. Some pupils are also given the opportunity to follow Certificate of Achievement courses in English, Maths, Science and Modern Foreign Language. (You can link to the subject pages here or click on the subjects button above.)

Sex Education
Sex education is taught as part of the Science and Foundation Studies curricula, in accordance with the School's Sex Education policy, approved by the Governors and available on request. Parents of Year 7 pupils are informed by letter, of those elements of sex education, which are not legally required by the National Curriculum and from which they have the right to withdraw their children if they so wish.

Careers
The course is designed to enable students to look at their strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to plan both short and long term targets to prepare them for making informed decisions and choices in the future.

From Year 9 onwards, students will be given the opportunity to discuss their decisions with a Careers Officer and at the end of Year 10 all students will experience a two week work placement.

Pastoral Information
The objective of the pastoral care system in the school is to help pupils to succeed during the time which they spend with us. We do this by making pupils feel that they are part of a 'caring community' and by trying to ensure that if they experience any worries or difficulties, these are quickly resolved. Parents are welcome at all times to come into school and talk about any concerns which they may have over their child's education. (Click here for contact details).

Wortley High School has a dedicated teaching and support staff committed to promoting pupils' personal, academic, vocational performance and community achievement and welfare. Standards of work and behaviour are high. The pastoral system offers strong support to the individual and a high standard of care, leading to mutual pupil/teacher respect and constant encouragement to do well.

When a pupil joins the school he/she becomes a member of a Form Group of about twenty-eight pupils. This Form Group will stay together during years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, probably with the same Form Tutor.

In overall charge of each year group is a Head of Year; the Form Tutor and Head of Year will get to know each pupil well. Pupils are encouraged to share any problems which they may have with their Form Tutor who will take immediate steps to help them. The Head of Year, Assistant Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and the Headteacher will also be available to help individual pupils and their parents. The whole purpose of the pastoral care system at Wortley High School is to help pupils feel secure, confident and happy at the school, and thus enable them to achieve their full potential.